Honey

24.) Spend My Life

Honey looked out of the window and smiled as she looked at the white sand. She knew it was frigid back home, so the sunshine was a warm and welcome relief.

To think, soon enough, she'd be walking down that sand to her waiting lover ready to become Mrs. Tristan Blake Trueheart.

She turned around to look at her mother and sisters. She had even invited Passion. She didn't ask her to be a part of her wedding party like she had imagined she would have a year ago before Tristan was a thought in her mind, but she had invited her.

"You alright there, Honey?" Lovey asked, moving over to hug her baby girl.

"Alright? Mama, I'm about to get married to a man that coulda picked anyone, and he chose me. I'm getting married to a man I know love me and treat me like I matter to him. In what world is that just alright? I'm grand!"

Lovey laughed a little. She was glad to hear that.

Kara came over and squeezed her. "I'm so happy you gon marry my big headed boy."

"Aye, he might got a big head, but he is fine, Miss Kara!"

Kara laughed. "Girl, you shoulda seen his daddy. Especially back in the day. I couldn't be paid to leave that boy alone. It's how I ended up sixteen and married."

Honey smiled. She had heard stories about Andrew from his son, but Honey was a sucker for romance, so she sat down and listened to Kara talk about the late husband she had loved from day one.

"The first time I saw Andrew was at the corner store with a group of friends. I was fifteen at the time, but I hung out with a lot of older people. So they was buying cigarettes and whatnot and my little young ass was in the back looking at sodas, tryna figure out what I wanted when I heard the bell over the door. I needed to see who else was up in that store with me, so I turned and saw the group of men and went back to picking out a soda. When I started looking at snacks, Andrew approached me. He was eighteen at the time, and he had a Black behind his ear. That boy... Tristan is like his daddy in ways only me and Andrew knew about. Tristan is like the Andrew that was young."

"Wassup wit you, baby?" Andrew asked, smiling at Kara, extending his hand. "I'm Andrew. And your name is?"

Kara looked him over before she turned to her group. Tyson shook his head in disapproval, but Demali was giving her girl the eyes, mouthing, "that nigga fine."

"It's Kara."

"Kara," Andrew repeated. "So what you doing in the 'hood wit a name like that?"

She rolled her eyes and turned back to the sweet cakes. "If you gon make fun of my name just because it ain't ghetto, we can end this conversation right here. I got a name that people can pronounce, and that's what my mama intended."

Andrew raised his hands in surrender. "Aye, ma. No disrespect, baby. That's just different 'round these parts. But aye, lemme kick this fly shit to you. I'm having a li'l barbecue around the corner. If you ain't got no immediate plans, come through."

Kara nodded to her friends. Hell no she wouldn't follow this nigga to his house. Not alone.

"They can come, too," he said easily with a shrug.

Kara noticed his boys waiting on him near the door. She turned to her own friends.

"Y'all rolling?" Kara asked.

Demali nodded her head in the affirmative. Destiny appeared conflicted while Angel just walked out the store. Tyson looked at Kara, shaking his head.